Sunday, March 2, 2008

Is the Motobecane Fantom 29 a good value?

To answer this question I did an analysis of the parts cost for the bike. The costs are typical costs found based on a google search. The following are the results:

Avid BB5 Brakes with 185 mm rotors $170 per pair
WTB 29 x 2.1 with FX28 Rims Wheelset $150 per set
RockShox Dart 3 Fork $125
Frame (on ebay $95 plus $25 shipping) $120
Shimano Deore Mega-9 Rapid Fire 27 speed trigger shift $90 for pair
Shimano Deore XT long cage rear derailleur RD-M761 $85
TruVativ 5D 22/32/44T Crankset $70
Shimano Deore FD-M510 front derailleur $26

Total for "major" parts $836

The total cost of the bike was $595.95 so it seems there is a good value here. However, probably the sum of the parts is always going to cost more on any bike.

On the quality side, the derailleurs and shifters are Deore which are on the higher end of quality.
The Avid BB5 brakes have received good reviews and seem to have good stopping power with the 185 mm rotors.
The Dart 3 Fork is an "entry level XC" fork. It seems good to me.
The TruVativ 5D is a lower end crankset and seems to perform adequately.
I like the WTB wheelset. The tires are very good and "grippy".
I also like the frame. I like the color, the geometry and fit for me. I also think it is strong.

So overall I think the bike is a good value.

The link for the specs:
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/fantom29_08.htm

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

What I can't wrap my head around is why wouldn't someone simply buy this bike to part it out and make a couple C-notes on it? Or, is the time/effort not worth it?

Anonymous said...

Mike, so what's your evaluation of the new Moto Ti 29er team from BD?